Apparatus for indicating the condition of storage batteries.



B. M. TORMIN.

APPARATUS FOR INDIGATING THE CONDITION OF STORAGE BATTERIES. APPLICATION FILED ran. 25, 1910.

WITNESSES; INVEPITDPG g. wz' l "n, @Z an Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

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. EGMONT MAX TORMIN, OI NEWTON CENTER, ,MASSACHUSETTS ASSIGNOR TO I-IOL'IZER- CABOT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF BROOKLINE MASSACHUSETT3, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec.- 19, 1911.

Application filed February 25. 1910. Serial No. 545,816.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Eoarosr M. T ORMTN, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of Newton Center, in the county of itliddh-zsex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Indicating the Condition of Storage Batteries, of which the following is a specification.

It is well. known that the condition of a storage battery as regards its charge may he more readily determined by the specific gravity of its electrolyte than by the read ings of a volt-meter or annneter associated with its circuit. I have invented a system especially adapted for use on motor-vehicles and motor-boats whereby the storage-battery connected in the engine sparking circuit and in the lighting circuit may be charged by a generator driven by the engine of such vehicle or boat. In this system it is necessary that the operator be able to readily ascertain the condition of the battery.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus whereby the condition of a storage battery-may be conveniently determined from the specific gravity of its electrolyte.

The drawings which accompany and form part of this specification illustrate the principle of my invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side view of a storage battery embodying my improvement and Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

In the particular embodiments of my invention selected for illustration, 1 represents a storage battery shown in the present instance as consisting of three cells, 3, 4- and 5, each of which is provided lwith a cham her or receptacle 3, 4i, 5' respectively, formed by a partition extending across each cell and communicating with thc same by the passageways 13, 13, 13, each chamber being adapted to contain a portion of the electrolyte of said battery. A device Whereby the specific gravity of the electrolyte may be determined or indicated, such as the hydrometer 6, is placed in the electrolyte in each of said receptacles and suitable means preferably are employed for maintaining said hydrometer in a substantially Each receptacle is provided with means such as the Window '7 01'' glass or other suitable transparent material whereby the hydrometer may be viewed from the exterior of the cell. i. I

As the storage battery discharges, the specific gravity of the electrolyte is lowered so that when the hydromctcr indicates that the specific gravity has fallen to a certain value, the operator can set in motion the mechanism whereby the battery may be rc-charged. Vt hen the hydrometer indicates that the spe cifie gravity has risen to a certain value, the operator may stop the charging operation. It will be understood, however, that it is not necessary that the hydrometerbc graduated in absolute values and that it may be provided with arbitrary graduations indicating respectively when the charging operation should begin and when it should be discontinued.

W'hile the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is a simple and convenient means for enabling the operator to readily determine the condition of his battery, it will be readily apparent that various other arrangements for accomplishing this result may be devised without: departing from the principle of'my invention.

I claim:

1,. in an apparatus for indicating the condition of a storage battery, a receptacle coinmunicating with the storage battery cell and formed in' part by the walls thereof, said receptacle being adapted to contain a portion of the electrolyte of said battery, it hydrometei: in said receptacle, meansv for maintaining said hydrometer in a substantially vertical position, and a window of transparent material secured to said receptacle.

2. In an apparatus for indicating the condition of a storage battery, a storage battery cell, a partition extending across the same and forming a chamber, said chambercommunicating with said cell and adapted to contain a .portion of the electrolyte thereof, a hydrometer in said chamber, and

,' a Window of transparent material secured to the front Wall of said chamber.

3. In an apparatus for indicating the condition of a storage battery, a storage battery cell, a partition extending across the same and forming a chamber, said chamber communicating With said cell and adapted to contain a portion of the electrolyte thereof, a hydrometer in said chamber, nieans for maintaining said hydrometer in. a substantially vertical position, and a Window of transparent material secured to the from EGMONT MAX TORMIN;

W'itnesses:

E. B. TOMLINSON,

Geo. K. Woonw'omn. 

